


young and beautiful

by orphan_account



Category: DRAMAtical Murder
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-26
Updated: 2013-07-26
Packaged: 2017-12-21 11:25:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/899729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clear doesn't age, but Aoba does. After thirty years, Aoba can't help but worry when he looks at his wrinkles and white hairs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	young and beautiful

It shouldn’t surprise him, and it shouldn’t make him this sad. He knew this would happen since the start. It happens to everyone. All humans age. Their skin wrinkles, their backs stoop, their hair loses its color. It was his hair that Aoba was concerned about one evening as he closed up the shop. He and Clear had taken over Heibon once Haga retired about – how many years had it been? It was a little less than ten years after Aoba had stepped onto his balcony and seen the man he thought he lost come right back to him.  So that made twenty years of running Heibon. And thirty years of living with Clear.

Aoba leaned against the counter and sighed. Their work days were typically slow, but he felt a pain in his feet and back that he couldn’t have imagined when he was in his twenties. The shop had changed since then too – Bonjin had retired along with Haga, the brats were now adults with kids of their own, and not a single part that customers ordered even existed when Aoba first started making deliveries. The only thing that hadn’t changed was Clear. In a few moments, he would swing through the door singing and twirling the empty delivery bag. He’d hang up the bag while chatting about a cute cat or a kind person he had met during his day, then stop at the counter, kiss Aoba and say, “Good work today, Aoba-san. Are you ready to go home?” Aoba would smile and reply that he was, holding Clear’s hand as they walked out of the store. It happened every work day, and the tradition just grew more dear to Aoba as time passed. Especially on days like this, when he felt tired and old, Clear’s presence was so bright and comforting. Clear had grown more comfortable with human life, and he was more confident in his own humanity – but the soul Aoba had fallen in love with hadn’t changed. _Neither had his appearance_ , Aoba thought as he looked down at his own wrinkled hands. _Time hasn’t made a dent on Clear’s beauty, but it’s definitely working on me._ Aoba slumped lower across the counter and whispered, “Hurry back, Clear.”

A minute later, Aoba heard the bell above the door chime. Clear beamed at him and set off the cascade of steps Aoba had predicted. Aoba turned the already dozing Ren (surely the oldest Allmate still at work in their neighborhood) on sleep mode, slipped him into his bag, and left the store with Clear. As they walked down the familiar streets on their way home, Clear kept a tighter grip than usual on Aoba’s hand. _Ah, he must have heard me._

They walked past the familiar stores of the Old Residential District, both new and old. The residents had spent the last thirty years reclaiming, rebuilding, making their home a place to be proud of. Despite his mood, Aoba smiled looking at the progress they had made – he could see just how alive the neighborhood was on their walk home. But the house they were headed back to was empty.  It had been a few years since Tae had greeted them at the door every day, and remembering that made Aoba feel even more tired.

“Clear…”

“Yes, Aoba-san?”

“Do you know, I’m about the same age as Granny was when she started raising me.”

“That’s something to celebrate, Aoba-san.”

“Is it?” Aoba laughed flatly, “I mean, her hair was still bright pink then. I never asked her if she dyed it…I wonder if I should dye mine…” He looped a lock of hair around the fingers of his free hand. The bright blue had faded, and white streaks ran straight from his roots to his tips. In a few years, there wouldn’t be any blue left. “I look ridiculous, huh?”

Aoba felt his arm being tugged back and turned around to see Clear rooted to spot. The serious look on his face made Aoba falter. Pursed lips, slight frown, and that rare sharp gleam in his eyes.

“Clear?”

“Aoba-san. If you want to dye your hair, that’s fine. But please don’t ever say you look ridiculous. You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever met.”

“Clear…” Aoba wouldn’t have believed praise like that coming from most people, but he knew Clear. He meant every word he said. “Maybe thirty years ago…but now… ”

“No! I mean now. Still. Always, Aoba-san,” Aoba wanted to stop the conversation then, looking at the growing distress in Clear’s eyes, but he knew he should let Clear finish. “Aoba-san, you have a beautiful face, and soft hair, and you’re slender and warm and smell nice-“

Aoba blushed and whispered Clear’s name again. Clear’s sincere compliments still made him blush.

“Sorry, Aoba-san…but what I mean is, you’re beautiful. You’ll always be so beautiful. But most importantly, you’re you. You’re kind and brave and I want to always be with you. It doesn’t matter how much you change. I only wish I could do the same, Aoba-san. Like a real human.”

Clear’s words were as calming as his songs. Aoba stood staring at the man in front of him. _He’s really come so far_ , he thought as he held Clear’s warm hand and listened to him speak, _but he’s still scared of not being human._

“You are a real human, Clear. You don’t need to change to prove that. And thank you for what you said.”

“Of course!” Clear was grinning, and his expression was once again relaxed. “Thank you, too. We’re both scared of the same thing, right Aoba-san?”

Aoba laughed and tugged Clear’s hand so they could keep walking. _Leave it to Clear to actually say that out loud._ They walked slowly, savoring the window displays in the shops, the smells coming from the food stands, the feeling of each other’s’ hands.

“Hey, Aoba-san?”

“Yeah?”

“About your hair…of course you can dye it if you want, but isn’t it nice this way?”

“What do you mean?”

Clear let go of Aoba’s hand to stroke his fading hair. He smiled, “We’ll have a matching set!”

Aoba looked at Clear open mouthed for a moment, and then quickly looked away.

“Aoba-san, are you crying because you’re happy or sad?”

“I’m really happy.”

“Then I’m happy too, Aoba-san.” Aoba didn’t want to look over yet, but he knew Clear was still smiling.

“Let’s go home, Clear.”


End file.
